Minnetonka, MN Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

The disposal duty in Minnetonka, Hennepin County, Minnesota falls on the people who generate the waste. Under § 835.010, the owner or occupant of a residential dwelling unit, and the owner, manager or occupant of a multiple dwelling or commercial establishment, must use one of three routes: collection by a licensed collector, incineration in a compliant incinerator, or delivery to a storage or disposal site approved by every governmental agency with regulatory authority.

For residential dwellings the code sets a minimum rhythm. Organic materials must be disposed of each week. Trash must go out each week if it contains organic materials, and at least bi-weekly if it contains none. Recyclables must go out at least bi-weekly. Multiple dwellings must dispose of waste at least once each week, and so must commercial establishments, with more frequent intervals if the city orders it to protect the public health.

Collector hours are a separate rule in § 835.040. A collector cannot pick up recyclables, organic materials or waste from residential units, or from areas within 400 feet of residential units, after 10:00 p.m. or before 6:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, or at any time on a Sunday. Anyone who collects waste in the city must first hold a collector's license under § 835.035, and § 835.040 confirms that nothing prevents a person from hauling their own waste to an approved site.

The Minnetonka City Council can also contract with a licensed hauler for recycling or organics under § 835.033, in which case the contracted hauler serves those premises on the terms of the contract. Licensing of collectors runs through the community development director.